Remote Monitoring Moisture Content in Test Pavement in Waco and Bryan Districts

Research Project 0-4415 "Development of a soil moisture sensor for measuring moisture content in pavement subgrade" developed several types of soil moisture sensors including parallel-wire transmission-line sensors, ring resonator sensors, microstrip line sensors, parallel-plate transmission-line sensors and integrated PCB sensors. The parallel transmission line sensors have been installed in Bryan, Waco districts at the SPS-8 sites and Texas APT site to monitor moisture contents in the pavement. These sensors are low-cost, small in size and remotely accessible. Measured sensor data are then either remotely downloaded via modem or directly from the site. The system can store data for 12 months between two downloads. The lately developed PCB sensors have more features: 1) both sensor heads and sensor electronic circuits are built on the same rigid PCB board, so that the uniformity of sensors can be guaranteed in both manufacturing and installation processes; 2) the operation mode is upgraded to digital mode from analog mode; 3) an on-board microprocessor is introduced to control and manage sensor performance; 4) a unique address ID is assigned to each sensor to facilitate the communication, data transportation and sensor network building; 5) a communication transceiver and driver are added to realize the communication among sensors as well as between the sensor and the data collection box; 6) an adjustable phase shifter is installed on board to insure the optimal initialization; 7) an on-board power down mode is designed to save power in field applications. The PCB sensors will provide more convenience in application.

• Summary URL:
  http://www.egr.uh.edu/research/files/Summary_0-4415.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Project title: Remote Monitoring Moisture Content in Test Pavement in Waco and Bryan Districts.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Houston

  Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 4800 Calhoun Road
  Houston, TX  United States  77204

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Implementation Office, P.O. Box 5080
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5080

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Liu, Richard
  • Chen, Xuemin
  • Li, Jing
  • Xing, Huichun
  • Chen, Jingheng
  • Ekbote, Aditya
  • Wen, Bingbing
• Publication Date: 2004-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Edition: Technical Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 60p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communication; Experimental roads; Microprocessors; Moisture content; Monitoring; Remote sensing; Sensors; Subgrade (Pavements)
• Identifier Terms: PCB sensors
• Uncontrolled Terms: Parallel transmission
• Geographic Terms: Bryan (Texas); Waco (Texas)
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01023897
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-05/0-4415-2, Report 0-4415-2
• Contract Numbers: Project 0-4415
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: May 17 2006 12:06PM